Paul's Work in Thessalonica

2 1Brothers [and sisters], you know that our
visit to you was not a failure.
2Before we came to you, we suffered in
Philippi. People there said bad things against us. You know all about
that. And when we came to you, many people were against us. But our God
helped us to be brave. He helped us to tell you his Good News.* 3We encourage (teach) people. No person
has fooled us. We are not evil. We are not trying to trick people. Those
are not our reasons for doing what we do.
4No. We speak the Good News because God tested
us and trusted us to tell the Good News. So when we speak, we are not
trying to please men. We are trying to please God. God is the One who
tests (looks closely at) our hearts.
5You know that we never tried to influence you
by saying nice things about you. We were not trying to get your money. We
had no selfishness to hide from you. God knows that this is true.
6We were not looking for praise from people.
We were not looking for praise from you or any other people.
7We are apostles* of Christ. And so when we were with you, we could have used our authority
to make you do things. But we were very gentle*with you. We were like a mother caring for her little children.
8We loved you very much. So we were happy to
share God's Good News* with you; but not
only that--we were also happy to share even our own lives with you.
9Brothers [and sisters], I know that you
remember how hard we worked. We worked night and day. We did not want to
burden you [by making you pay us] while we did the work of telling God's
Good News to you.
10When we were with you believers, we lived
in a holy and right way, without fault. You know that this is true, and
God knows that this is true.
11You know that we treated each one of you like
a father treats his own children.
12We encouraged you, we comforted you, and we
told you to live good lives for God. God calls you to his kingdom and
glory.
13Also, we always thank God because of the
way you accepted God's message (teaching). You heard that message
from us, and you accepted it like it was God's words, not the words of
men. And it really is God's message (teaching). And that message
works in you people who believe.
14Brothers [and sisters], you are like God's
churches (people) in Christ Jesus that are in Judea.* God's people in Judea suffered bad things from the other Jews there. And
you suffered the same bad things from the people of your own country.
15Those Jews killed the Lord Jesus. And they
killed the prophets.* And those Jews
forced us to leave that country (Judea). God is not pleased with
them. They are against all people.
16Yes. They try to stop us from teaching the
non-Jews. We teach the non-Jews so that the non-Jews can be saved. But
those Jews are adding more and more sins to the sins they already have.
The anger of God has fully come to them now.

Paul's Desire to Visit Them Again

17Brothers [and sisters], we were separated
from you for a short time. (We were not there with you, but our thoughts
were still with you.) We wanted very much to see you, and we tried very
hard to do this.
18Yes, we wanted to come to you. Truly I, Paul,
tried to come many times, but Satan (the devil) stopped us.
19You are our hope, our joy, and the crown we
will be proud of when our Lord Jesus Christ comes.
20Truly you are our glory and our joy.

Good News The news that God has made a
way for people to have their sins forgiven and live with him forever.
apostles The men Jesus chose to
represent him in a special way.
But ... gentle Several Greek copies
have: "But we became babies."
Judea The Jewish land where Jesus lived
and taught and where the church first began.
prophets People who spoke for God.